Ruins of Atlantis
by Ginsan
Summary: Darien Chiba is a rising Star in the world of Archaeology. The C.E.O. of Mallone Industries hands him the reigns of a Caribbean Island with recently discovered Ruins. Will he be up for the challenge, or will the Islands true owners be too much for him?
1. Chapter 1: Reflections and Discoveries

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon and it's associated Characters. Naoko Takeuchi does. I also don't own any rights to the Myth of Atlantis. Far as I know, no one does, since Plato is long dead. I do, however, own Jorowyn/Jordan Mallone/Phaeton Knight. If you'd like to use him in a story, check my Author Page for details.

Author's Note: This story idea just sort of popped into my head, so I decided to run with it.

This story is pure AU, meaning Alternate Universe. The names might be the same, but their characters, powers, and history are not. Please don't send Flames saying so and so isn't acting in character. That's the whole point of writing in AU. Creative criticism, however, is always appreciated. Especially any grammatical corrections you may have.

This story is based partially on the Myth of Atlantis, with my own unique twist. Times will not seem to match up at times during this story, but please bear with it. All will be revealed as the story progresses.

This story will alternate, with the first section dealing with various events from Atlantis' past, with the majority of the chapter taking place in modern times.

Atlantis existed over 10,000 years ago. Following a Tragic Accident in the middle of Civil War, the majority of it was destroyed, while it's remnant sunk to the relative safety, and isolation of the Ocean Floor in the Atlantic. More of the History of Atlantis will be revealed as the story unravels, usually during the first sequence of each chapter.

At this point, I don't believe this will have any lemon scenes. If it does end up that, rest assured that I will inform you all of it, and instruct you on how to obtain those sections, since they violate FF's Policies.

Reviews are always welcome. Questions can me e-mailed to me at PhaetonKnight(at)Hotmail(dot)com, or by leaving your question and e-mail in similar format in your review.

Ruins of Atlantis

By: Ginsan

Chapter 1

Reflections and Discoveries

_Two hundred years._

_Two hundred years to the day, he had been locked in this cell. Two hundred years that his body had been frozen in Time, to prevent his escape. And it had worked. For two hundred years, his body had remained locked in the same position, exactly where his jailers had placed him._

_Suspended in midair by Lode Stones. One each on his hands, keeping them spread out from his body. A third binding both his feet together. A forth, attached to his chest. A fifth, and final, one on his forehead. It kept his head tilted back, and preventing him from seeing anything but the ceiling. Not that it mattered. The entire cell was pitch black from lack of light._

_Yes, for two hundred years, his body had remained suspended in Time. But, they had missed one crucial detail. He doubted it was on purpose. Possibly even a mistake by the one who had been forced to Imprison him. Not that it mattered. After two hundred years, he had grown to accept the situation. After all, two hundred years was a very long time to think things over, while your mind continued to function._

_He'd forgiven them all for this indignity after the first hundred years. It had been a traumatic period, and making him a scapegoat had probably helped the Queen restore peace over what few subjects were left. He'd even forgiven them for using his own creation, the Lode Stones, against him._

_If he could have smiled, he would have. He'd created them with Meioh's help back at the beginning of the Rebellion. They created a powerful electrical field. Any being shackled within them as he was now, would have their powers nullified. It had been a stroke of genius, meant to help them hold Galaxia's Puppets in relative peace, until a method could be found to break her hold over them. How ironic, that he been the first, and probably the last, person they had been used on._

_That had left him the last hundred years to mull over what exactly had happened, that had placed him here. He knew now the What, just not the How. The Time Compressor was never meant to act the way it had. Only someone with as much knowledge as he had, could even begin to sabotage the machine in such a way. While he did have a half dozen assistants on the project, he was the only one with access to the full schematics. No assistant worked on the same section of the machine as another assistant. And he had been the sole person responsible for the construction of the control system, the very thing that had malfunctioned. It was no wonder they all thought he had done it on purpose. He couldn't even put the blame on anybody._

_His mind reeled in pain as his cell was suddenly filled by blinding light. He couldn't even close his eyes, to block it out. And then, suddenly, he could. His eyes blinked, then began to tear up as he clenched his eyes shut. A hiss of pain left his lips as he could suddenly feel the pain of his body as Time somehow restarted._

_Soft hands began to gently remove the Lode Stones, as his eyes finally adjusted. He could only make out a blurry form at first. Then, as his body started sinking to the floor, he could see her eyes. Her beautiful, scarlet eyes. It was the last thing he saw, before he slipped into merciful unconsciousness._

* * *

"Mr. Mallone, we've arrived at the Dig Site."

Snapped out of his dreams, Jordan Mallone, current C.E.O. of Mallone Industries, looked out the window of the helicopter as it approached the landing pad.

"Excellent Zackary. Have the preparations been complete?"

"Yes sir. The Security detail has sweeped the island and reported all clear. Acquisitions has reported that the last of the paperwork has been completed. All that remains is for you to personally inspect the Site, then select a team to begin the excavations."

Jordan nodded. This was all a formality of course. He knew this was what he'd been looking for all these years. He even had the perfect man in mind already, to begin the excavations. A rising star in the Archeology field, just waiting for the chance to make it big. Yes, this would certainly be enough to get his attention.

As soon as the Helicopter landed, his Personal Assistant, Zackary Staziak, wheeled him down the ramp, and up to his waiting Security Captain, and her four man squad.

"Amara. How good to see you again. How do you like my latest little island?"

The blond woman smirked as she gestured at the island in question, with her left hand.

"I'd hardly call this place 'little' Old Man. This island is almost as big as Puerto Rico. How the Hell did it go this long without being discovered?"

Jordan laughed, as he waited for Zackary to retrieve their belongings from the Helicopter.

"For the very reason I enjoy the Bermuda Triangle so much, dear Amara. No one has ever managed to plumb it's true depths, and solve all it's mysteries."

"Whatever makes you happy Old Man. So long as I keep getting that fat paycheck each week, you can buy up all the islands you want, wherever you want."

"Ever the charmer. Let's have a look shall we?"

Jordan nodded his head to Zackary, who began wheeling him down the fascinating road. One of the first discoveries on the island, it was fashioned of smoothed stone, seemingly untouched by the weather even after eons of Caribbean hurricanes.

After several minutes, they emerged into a small clearing, the first of many scattered around the island.

"These are more intact than most of the island. We counted thirty Sites on the island that we could find. Some are smaller, most are larger. We didn't find many artifacts, most of the buildings seem deserted. Probably looted centuries ago."

"Very likely. Zackary, let's go over to that wall there, the one with the writing."

Zack wheeled Jordan over to the wall in question, and began to examine it with him.

It was old. Cracked, and weather beaten, it had certainly seen better days. But the glyphs carved into it were still deep, and distinct. Zack frowned over them as Jordan began muttering quietly under his breath, fingers tracing the glyphs in lines up and down..

He'd never seen writing like this before. Combinations of lines and small circles arranged in a nine by nine grids.

The longer he started at it, the more he swore he could actually read it. But, that was impossible, wasn't it? How could someone read a language that they had never read before?

"Excellent. This is the right island after all. Zackary, let's get back to Base. I need to call in the Archeology Team."

Zack snapped out of his daydream about the glyphs, and quickly turned Jordan's wheelchair, before heading back up the road.

"At least you're pleased Old Man. This is what, the sixth island you've bought this year alone?"

"And each served a purpose. This one, however, is the shining jewel I have spent decades searching for."

Amara shrugged as they proceeded to Home Base. It took longer than the trip from the Helicopter Pad, but she didn't mind. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something comforting about being in his presence. Michelle had mentioned the same thing once, a few months ago. Neither of them were sure just why the old man made them feel that way, but it certainly made working for him much more enjoyable. Especially with his habit of globe hopping to the remotest corners of the planet on a moments whim, and his constant purchases of islands throughout the Atlantic. It had struck them as odd, that he had never purchased anything but Atlantic islands in the 5 years they had been working for him.

"I do hope your mind is on your job at the moment, my dear, and not a certain aqua haired lass. I'd hate for you to start acting unprofessional this late in the game."

Amara blushed slightly, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. She over looked the game comment however. He'd been making it more and more lately. Especially since Black Flame had started raiding their previous Dig Sites.

"Excellent. I see almost all the buildings have been set up. Amara, why don't you leave Gregory in charge, and take the helicopter to the mainland. After all your hard work, you and Michelle can have the weekend to yourselves. My treat of course."

Amara sighed, and shook her head. The Old Man was always doing things like this. Other than his Assistant Zackary, she wasn't aware of him treating any of his other employees like this. Then again, the three of them were the ones who saw him the most, outside of the remaining members of the Board of Directors.

"Since you never take No for an answer, I suppose we'll have to take you up on the offer. You take good care of him, Zackary."

"Of course. It'll be a cold day in Hell, before I let something happen to him, and risk facing the wrath of Amara Tenoh, Hell's Demoness of Vengeance."

Amara gave him mock punch to the shoulder, before heading off to her quarters to pack. It would be nice to have some time alone with Michelle. Ever since the island had been discovered, the two of them never seemed to be able to match up their schedules.

Jordan smiled as he watched Amara take her leave.

"Alright Zackary. Let's go to the Communications Room. Might as well call Chiba now. The longer we delay, the more risk of Black Flame discovering what we're up to out here."

"You don't honestly thing they'd be stupid enough for a direct attack here do you sir?"

"Zackary my boy, you don't survive very long in this business without preparing for even the most ridiculous circumstance. And yes. I do seriously believe that Black Flame will come here eventually. But, I plan to be done here, before they even get a whiff of what's going on."

"You just enjoy playing the paranoid, eccentric, crippled Billionaire. Admit it."

"OK, I admit it. Now, while I get Chiba on the line, see what you can scrounge up around here for lunch. I'm starving."

"Will do sir."

Zack left him inside the building with the technicians, then headed off to see what passed for food around here.

* * *

"Yo, Chiba! You got a call. Some guy named Mallone."

Darien Chiba sighed as Jade poked his head into his office to tell him, before ducking back out again. Probably to disassemble and reassemble that motorcycle of his. He really needed to find something for him to do around here, before the University got mad. Again.

He spun around to the phone. He picked it up from the cradle, before pressing the hold button.

"Darien Chiba speaking. How can I help you Mr. Mallone?"

"Ah, but my dear Mr. Chiba. A better question would be, how may I help you. I've recently discovered some rather interesting Ruins on land I purchased. I'm willing to not only completely fund your Dig team, but to provide publishing, and full media coverage for any finds you make in the Ruins. I will do so for a year, minimum. More if the Dig takes longer. I will also provide housing and board for each member of the team you bring along, as well as any future members. Each of you will also be given a small expense account for recreational purposes."

Darien was speechless for several minutes. He didn't know if he was being cruelly pranked, of if the excavation of his dreams had just dropped into his lap.

"Who is this really? I won't put up with someone bullshitting me for a cheap laugh."

There was a chuckle on the other end, before 'Mallone' answered back.

"Mr. Chiba, I can assure you this is no prank. In fact, I have already sent you a check. It should be in your mail today. The amount should be more than enough to convince you of my intentions. If you don't feel up to the task at hand, please keep the check. Consider it a donation to your department. If you do choose to accept my offer, there will be a cargo plane with additional supplies for your team waiting for you at the Elroy Airstrip. I sincerely hope you will accept my offer, and I look forward to meeting you in person."

The line went dead, and Darien replaced it in it's cradle. He started at it for several minutes, before his Senior Researcher came into the office, Nathan Randolph.

"Mail call. You got something from Mallone Industries. What would big-wigs like that want with you?"

Darien's mouth suddenly went dry, as his mind clicked. Jordan Mallone. The man on the other end of the phone had been Jordan Mallone. Humanitarian and one of the most eccentric Billionaires on the planet.

With numb hands, he took the envelope from Nathan, and carefully opened the envelope. He pulled out the first piece of paper. It appeared to be the flight time for the plane, as well as a general rundown of supplies that would be provided for them. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he read some of the stuff. Was he being asked to run a Dig Site, or Museum? He set it aside, and reached for the other piece of paper in the envelope. With shaking fingers, he pulled out the check. A quick glance revealed it was from Mallone Industries, signed by Jordan Mallone himself.

"Darien, something wrong?"

Darien continued to stare at all the zeros on the check, while his head tried to add them all up. Seven zeros, add the one at the beginning. His mind reeled as it tried to comprehend the amount. Ten million dollars. And this was just a starter check.

"Boss, you OK?"

Darien looked up at Nathan, before numbly handing him the check.

He assumed his reaction was similar to the one he just had. Though, he didn't remember feinting.

* * *

"Are you Darien Chiba?"

Darien and his group spun around, as a tall blond in a black and gray camo stepped out of the shadows of the hanger they just walked past. She wore a pair of black Oakley's, which she let slip down to get a good look at his group.

Darien nodded his head, as he and the others set their packs down.

"Yes, I'm Darien Chiba. Are you with Mallone Industries?"

"Yes sir. Amara Tenoh. Mr. Mallone sent me personally to escort you to our Dig Site. If you folks will just follow me, I'll show you to our ride."

Darien's assistants grabbed their gear again, then followed Amara. He had decided on a small group for now, until he found out more about the Dig Site. It was him, his Senior Researcher Nathan Randolph, two of his Grads, and six of his first years. The rattling of a fallen toolkit reminded him of the last member of the group. Jadrian Destry, the team's mechanic. A little brash, but damn good at his job.

As they all rounded the corner, it wasn't hard to pick out their ride. A Boeing 747, painted in the traditional Green and Silver color scheme of Mallone Industries, complete with their corporate logo. A emerald colored globe, showing cutouts of the landmasses, and a set of silver wings wrapped around it.

Darien himself didn't see anything special about it, though Jade certainly did. He came around the corner and started whistling, practically drooling as he looked over the engines.

"You people are serious when you buy a plane. I'm fairly sure some of those modifications aren't legal."

Amara turned to give him a smirk.

"Mr. Mallone believes in efficiency, and likes to make sure his company always runs on time. Besides, it's only illegal if you get caught."

She turned back, and climbed aboard, heading for the cockpit, while Jade simply shook his head, and stared at the plane. He didn't know what God Darien had gotten into good graces with to snag this Dig, but he knew it wouldn't be a bad idea to get in good himself.

Maybe if he was good, they'd let him have a look at the engines later.


	2. Chapter 2: Freedom and Mysteries

Ruins of Atlantis

By: Ginsan

Chapter 2

Freedom and Mysteries

_He knew it was a risk, but he looked out of the window anyway. It was just so hard, not to look at what he had missed the last two hundred years._

_The Capitol had changed so much over the years. And yet, it was still much the same. New buildings had been built to replace those that had been destroyed following the Accident. There appeared to be fresh paint on almost every building. There were certainly more people bustling through the streets than he remembered. Mostly soldiers, since his escape had been noticed._

_He turned away from watching the people, and back to looking at the buildings. The new buildings weren't really new. They were simply replacements for the old. They were exactly the same, down to the last stone slab on the roofs. The colors were the same as those two hundred years ago. New, but still the same._

_He couldn't say the same about himself._

_Since Meioh had freed him from the cell, he doubted he had said more than ten words to her. With only his mind for company for the last two hundred years, he found it difficult talking to another human. Especially to her. He just hadn't found it in himself to tell her what he'd actually endured after they'd locked him in the cell. He couldn't do that to her. Couldn't let her know that she had trapped him in a living Hell within his own mind for all that time._

_She knew something was wrong of course. His silence was proof enough of that. Before the Accident, it was all she could do to get him to shut up. To stop him from pestering her about marriage._

_He was still staring out the window when she came a few hours later._

_Once she saw what he was doing, she rushed across the room, and hurriedly closed the curtains. He blinked several times as he came out of his thoughts, and turned to look at her._

_"Jorowyn, what were you doing? You know it's dangerous to be seen."_

_She looked at him worriedly, while she gently pulled him away from the window. He merely allowed her to guide him to a nearby chair, where he calmly sat down._

_"Jorowyn, I wish you would talk to me. Tell me what's wrong." She knelled down in front of him, and took his hands while she looked up into his face. "I wish you'd tell me it wasn't my fault."_

_She looked away she started to cry again. He kept denying it, but she knew. She knew something had happened to him after being locked in that cell, and suspended in time. There was no other explanation._

_She was startled, when he brought his hands up, and gently began wiping away her tears. She looked up again, to see him with the same sad smile he'd worn since she'd let him out. He leaned forward, and her eyes closed involuntarily as he softly kissed her forehead._

_It was then, that she made up her mind. She would do whatever it took to get him to safety. To get him to the surface, where he could disappear forever among the non-Atlantians. Where he could live away from the people that had done this to him. Where he could be far away from her._

* * *

Jordan dozed in his wheelchair while Zackary stood waiting nearby. He doubted Jordan was really asleep, but he let the old man have his fun. If even half the rumors surrounding his life before becoming C.E.O. were true, then he deserved to act however he pleased.

"Mr. Staziak, the plane will be landing in a few minutes."

Zack nodded to the security member, before turning to wake Jordan.

"Look, you can just make out the plane."

Zack sighed, as Jordan was already awake, and pointing to the Northwest, where the plane was just becoming visible. They both watched for the next several minutes as the plane made it's landing on the recently completed runway. Until two days ago, they were still relying on the dirt strip for supplies.

"Let's go over and make introductions, shall we?"

Zack nodded as he wheeled Jordan over to where the ground crew was working on getting the plane unloaded. Amara was just coming down the passenger ramp, and Jordan waved her over.

"How did our new friends handle the flight?"

Amara smirked as she walked over, nodding a greeting to Zack.

"Some better than others."

Zach smiled as he glanced up, and spotted a lanky blond walking down the ramp, nursing a black eye.

"He questioned your taste in clothing, didn't he?"

She snorted as she turned to fix the man in question with a glare, causing him to abruptly turn around from where he had stopped to stare at her ass.

"More like tried to cop a feel when I went back to check on the cargo."

Jordan chuckled as the man in question stalked away. He noticed one of the nearby security detail walk off as well. Most likely to make sure the young man didn't get himself into more trouble.

The three of them waited patiently as the rest of the passengers came down the ramp. Jordan smiled as the last two passengers came down. Darien Chiba, and his assistant Nathan Randolph.

"Ah, Mr. Chiba. You have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you in person."

He held out a hand to the man, as Zack wheeled him closer. Darien took the hand and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. I'll have to admit. When you said you had a Dig Site, I didn't expect it to be a tropical island. In the middle of the Bermuda Triangle no less."

Jordan smiled, then gestured for Darien and Nathan to follow as Zackary turned his chair, and headed for the main complex.

"I've always been a fan of mysteries, and the Triangle is one of the greatest mysteries on the planet. We'll get you and your team settled in today, and we can tour the island in the morning. I think you will be quite surprised by the little mystery we discovered."

Darien and Nathan shared a look. It was never good when people talked like that. It usually panned out to be a worthless find. Or worse, a hoax. Still, even for as large a company as Mallone Industries, ten million was a little much for a hoax.

"Oh, Amara, I almost forgot. Michelle arrived from the mainland an hour ago. If you hurry, you should catch her in her office."

Jordan winked at her as she smiled, then hurried off down the path.

"Ah, to be young again."

Zack shook his head as they continued walking. Darien and Nathan looked at each other, baffled. They both had a feeling they had missed something.

* * *

"So how is your team settling in Mr. Chiba? No problems I hope?"

Darien shook his head as he set his fork down, and took a sip of his wine.

"No sir, everyone seems to be enjoying their rooms. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting such nice quarters. I'm used to a cot in a tent, not a fully furnished room with it's own kitchen."

Jordan dismissed such an idea with a wave of his hand.

"Nonsense. What point would there be in fully funding this Dig, if I didn't make sure you were all comfortable? Mallone Industries wouldn't be what it is today, if we didn't consider the comfort of our employees. Happy employees are productive employees. Besides, there's still a chance for that tent and cot if you decide to spend the night outdoors."

Darien and Nathan laughed at that. There was silence for a few minutes while dinner was enjoyed.

Jordan was sitting at the head of the main table, with Zackary to his right. Darien had learned that the young man was Mr. Mallone's Personal Assistant. He had also learned that he was the same age as himself, Nathan, and Jadrian. A relatively young, twenty-four. A strange coincidence, and when he'd brought it up, Mr. Mallone had simply smiled and called it one of life's little mysteries. He was beginning to think the older man really did have a thing for mysteries.

Jadrian had been given a seat next to Zackary, and the two seemed to be in the middle of an animated debate over something. They were keeping their voices down, so it was hard to make out what they were saying. It had struck him as odd, how quickly the two had gotten along. Most people tended to get annoyed by the surly mechanic, put off by his rude behavior and coarse language. The most recent example being Ms. Tenoh.

The woman in question was seated across from himself and Nathan. She was sitting with another woman, who had been introduced as Michelle Kaioh. He'd been formally introduced to both just before dinner.

Amara Tenoh was the current Head of Security for the island. In fact, she was the Head of Security for all of Mallone Industries. Jordan had hired her personally five years ago, and groomed her for her current position. From what he had heard, she was very competent at her job, and fairly well respected in her field.

Michelle Kaioh, was apparently the head of the Acquisitions Office, in charge of land and equipment purchases for Mallone Industries. She too had been hired five years ago by Mr. Mallone. Apparently, she had just recently gained this promotion, replacing her boss who recently retired. This island purchase, had been her first major negotiation since taking the position.

The two of them had remained out of the majority of the conversation so far, leaving Mr. Mallone and himself to discuss matters. In fact, the two seemed a little too busy flirting with each other, to bother paying attention to what was being said. The conversation from earlier was starting to make a little more sense.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are we Digging for here? Did your people find a Pirate's cache or a wrecked ship?"

Jordan chuckled at Nathan's question, before setting his fork down, and taking a quick drink of his wine.

"No, no. I assure you, what we have here on the island is nothing so mundane as a mere shipwreck. I could have hired some two-bit treasure hunter from Florida is that was the case. No, what we have here, is a genuine Mystery."

He'd been calling the island a mystery all day, and Darien was beginning to get a bit annoyed by it all.

"What is this Mystery business? What are we supposed to be looking for here anyway?"

Jordan shrugged, then gestured at Zackary. He broke off his conversation with Jade, and left the room.

"Now that you're all here, I don't suppose it can hurt anything to tell you. What do you boys know about Atlantis?"

Warning flags went off in Darien's head, and he could tell by Nathan's expression he was thinking the same thing. This was going to be a wild goose chase after all. Thankfully, Jade saved them both from having to respond.

"Isn't that that mythical continent that Plato guy said sank into the ocean?"

"Crude description, but yes. Atlantis suffered a devastating disaster and sunk beneath the Atlantic Ocean."

"So what does that have to do with dragging Darien and the rest of us here?"

Jordan smiled, then looked back to the door as Zackary returned, carrying a large box. He set it down in front of Jordan, then stood patiently beside him.

"Quite simply, Mr. Destry, I hired you all to find Atlantis for me. Before you begin to think me a foolish old man, I have something you should see."

He nodded to Zack, who quickly opened the box, then began removing several objects wrapped in cloth. The largest was handed to Darien, while several smaller objects were handed to Nathan and Jade.

"Please, have a look. Then you can judge for yourselves if I am crazy or not."

Darien frowned as he looked down at the cloth wrapped bundle for a minute. Jade was already opening the ones in front of him, but Nathan was apparently waiting for Darien.

Jade was acting like a kid at Christmas. He eagerly unwrapped the larger of the objects, then stared down at it. It was a crystal of some sort. Almost like a ruby in color. It was round, and it's entire surface was faceted. The longer he looked at it, the more he could swear he could see a flame burning inside it. The entire thing was about the size of his fist. And yet, it was practically weightless.

He set it aside, then unwrapped the other bundle. Inside, were seven small gems. They appeared to all be different gems, but each was exactly the same cut and size. About the size of his thumbnail and shaped like pyramids. There was a clear diamond, a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, a citrine, an amethyst, and a black beryl.

Jade set them down on the table, then turned to look at Darien. Hesitating a moment more, he finally unwrapped the large object he had been handed. It was round, and about fifteen inches in diameter, and about a half inch thick. It was made of concentric rings, each one roughly an inch wide. Each ring was covered in strange glyphs composed of lines and dots set in a rough nine by nine configuration. Both sides of the artifact were covered by the glyphs. The artifact itself was composed of a strange, bluish metal he had never seen before. In fact, it almost seemed translucent, like it could have also been made of crystal. Though, he had never heard of any crystal or metal with the colors and properties he was looking at.

Nathan took one glance at what Jade and Darien had, before he started opening his items. The first, was a crystal very similar to the one Jade had. Though, his appeared to an emerald. Looking inside, he could almost make out what appeared to be small bolts of electricity. It too was nearly weightless.

Fascinated, he opened the last object. It appeared to be another crystal, but this one was much different. It was approximately twelve inches long, and made of an odd, translucent green material. It was actually warm to his touch, and certainly weighed more than the other crystals. The crystal itself was shaped like a rod, with the ends coming to points.

Darien was the first to look up, and meet Jordan's amused smile.

"What the Hell are these?"

"Atlantian relics. The wheel in your hand was found under a shipwreck off Cuba. The two round crystals were found on different islands scattered around the Triangle. The gems were found embedded in a cliff face of another island. They were removed as a safety precaution, and the entire site was photographed for preservation. And finally, that large green one. That was found partially buried right where this room is now. Don't worry, the area was searched throughly before we began construction. Nothing else remains at this Site. I have high hopes for the other Sites on the island."

"Other Sites? Just how many are we talking about?"

"Roughly thirty at the moment, in various states of decay. I expect there to be a few more, in the denser foliage of the island."

Darien sat back, stunned. This whole thing had either progressed from a wild goose chase to an elaborate Hoax. Or this was the real deal. Something his mind just couldn't wrap around.

"If you had other sites before, why are you just now bringing me in?"

"Ah, but Mr. Chiba. I wanted you all along. But until six weeks ago, you were wrapped up with that little matter in Singapore."

Darien had the good grace blush, while Jade and Nathan burst out laughing. A horrible cultural blunder on his part, as well as his atrocious grasp of the Malaysian language. He knew Jade and Nathan would never let him live it down, but to know that Jordan Mallone knew about the situation.

Just what was he getting himself into?


	3. Chapter 3: Barbarians and Jackpots

Ruins of Atlantis

By: Ginsan

Chapter 3

Barbarians and Jackpots

_Jorowyn froze where he was, crouched under a small cluster of bushes, as several carts and soldiers walked by on the well traveled roadway. While crude by his standards, this was obviously a main highway, and he had to be cautious. He didn't know these people, and he had no real knowledge of how life on the surface had progressed after Atlantis' Fall._

_His priority right now, was to find a town of sufficient size that he could blend in without being noticed. Before his Imprisonment, it had been a hobby of his to study and learn new languages. It wouldn't take him long to figure out the local language. Even if it was a new language, he should be able to learn it within a day or two. And, at least he had a head start om narrowing down the choices._

_He was in a fairly arid climate, and there were signs of civilization. Deductive reasoning lead him to assume that Meioh had left him somewhere along the Mediterranean. Now it would be a simple matter of deciphering where, and how to proceed._

_He turned slightly, to look back the way he had come, back toward the cliffs._

_While the sea caves were quite pleasant, especially after his previous accommodations, they wouldn't have lasted forever. He hadn't been left much food to begin with, and he could tell that Harvest was coming, and the Frost soon after. Even if he did harbor a slim hope that Meioh would come back for him, he couldn't stay there any longer._

_How she had gotten her hands on the Gate Keys, he'd probably never know. She certainly hadn't been very forthcoming on the details. All he knew was that she had gathered some basic survival gear for him, and a months supply of food, and then brought him to the caves. She hadn't stayed very long to say goodbye, though she had made a weak promise to come back and check on him._

_He knew better. She never was one to express her emotions to other people, though he had always been able to read her quite easily. They both knew he'd never be safe in Atlantis, even if it was with her. And she was still wracked with guilt over what had happened. It was only a matter of time before she would crack, and then the manhunt would be on. At least here, on the surface, he had a chance to disappear from the search parties._

_After she had left, he'd managed to hold out for a month and a half, conserving his food the best he could. Once the weather started to turn, he gave it up. Besides, the longer he stayed along the coast, the more chance there was of discovery. And it was obvious by now, that Meioh wouldn't be coming back. Maybe she had been captured. Or worse, maybe she had abandoned him._

_For now, he locked him emotions and thoughts on Atlantis and Meioh away, to be dealt with later. Once he was truly safe, he could afford to think upon them again. For now, survival was what mattered._

_He took a steadying breath, as he inched out from under the brush, and hurried down the road while it was clear. If he was lucky, he could find a settlement or even a village, and sneak in under the cover of darkness. He wouldn't stoop to stealing, at least not yet. For now, what he needed was information. Information was what made the world go round._

* * *

"Jordan, I have the files you wanted. Head Office just faxed them over."

Jordan looked up from his desk as Michelle stepped inside the office.

"Good, good. Did you have a chance to look it over?"

"Yes Sir. Not good news."

"How bad is it?"

She handed the file to him, before taking a seat.

"Pretty bad. Intelligence lost track of their main force. Last position placed them in Africa, but that data is over forty-eight hours old. Black Flame could be anywhere by now. Including sitting off the coast to see what we dig up."

Jordan frowned as he read through the file.

"I doubt they're sitting off the coast. More likely, they have a couple of scouts here on the island, and the rest are waiting on the mainland. They'd be too exposed waiting in the water."

"I'm afraid I don't follow you sir."

"Black Flame has many enemies. Not just us. Don't worry about it though. Things will happen as they happen, and we'll just have to make sure we're ready. Find Amara, and get her to double up the security details. We can't afford a slip up now." There was a pause while he signed some paperwork before handing the file back to her. "Make sure she gets a look at this as well. And remind her, not to make herself sick over this. I'll even make it your job, to make she she doesn't."

They shared a smile before she left the room, more than happy to keep Amara occupied if need be.

Jordan waited until she left, before turning around, and looking out the window.

His office had a great view of the cove, made even better by addition of a spectacular sunset. He stared at it for a while, as he pondered over the situation with Black Flame. It was never good when they decided to poke their noses into things.

A group of highly trained and ruthless mercenaries, Black Flame had formed roughly fifty years ago, and since then had made quite the name for themselves. They specialized in Industrial Espionage, and private warfare. They had been the cause of several project failures within Mallone Industries over the last few years. No one had ever seen the core members of the group, those responsible for it's creation, funding, and choosing targets. He had his suspicions, but he would have to wait to confirm them. He had a feeling, that he'd find out all too soon.

They had already sacked both islands that had contained the Orbs. It had been sheer luck that they had gotten them off the island before the attack. That had been three months ago. Added precautions had been taken, which had resulted in the current security arrangements. All files relating to Atlantis had been classified, and only those who had attended the dinner meeting with Chiba last week had access to them. He had even instructed Chiba not to inform his team what they were looking for.

He knew that there was another Orb on the island. If the stone he had read earlier was right, it would be the Wind Orb. There was also supposed to be a Gate here, somewhere. Even if there was, he couldn't be sure what sort of condition it was in. He couldn't even tell how long the island had been abandoned.

The island was a chronological contradiction. They'd tested soil and rock samples all over the island, which seemed to be split into five different segments, each varying in age from each other by several thousand years. They had even found a piece of cliff with a clear line through it. One side was weathered by several thousand years, and the other appeared to be much younger. He was beginning to wonder about the islands discovery. With modern satellite equipment, this island should have been found twenty years ago, when he had first started seriously searching for Atlantis. Right after he had figure out what Black Flame was really after, and he began to suspect who they really were. Not suddenly appearing three weeks ago.

He continued to stare out the window, lost in thought, long after the sun had finally set.

* * *

"HEY! DARIEN! Come check this out."

Darien look up, from where he was looking over another stone covered with the strange glyphs to spot Jadrian up on the cliff. The glyphs fascinated him. He'd never seen a language quite like them, and yet, he could almost swear he could understand them. It left him with a strange sense of missing something. Some piece of the puzzle, that would make it all clear. Still, it was no use worrying about it right now. He didn't even know what the missing piece was.

"HEY! Quit daydreaming, and get up here."

Jadrian was waving excitedly from up on the cliff. He wasn't too sure how he'd gotten up there. He wasn't even sure what Jadrian was doing up there anyway.

Jadrian had gotten bored with a lack of work, and had volunteered to help Darien's first years clear out some of the vegetation that was blocking their examination of Site 12. Obviously he had gotten bored, since S12 was on the other side of the island.

"The vines on your right are covering the stairs up here. Hurry up."

Darien sighed, but put the stone down anyway, before going over to the vines, and looking for the hidden stairs. He was almost surprised, when he did find them. He made a mental note to study them later. They were perfectly formed, almost like they had been carved out by modern machinery. He shrugged it off for now, and hurried up to where he could see Jade literally bouncing with excitement over whatever he had found.

"Pay dirt. I don't know what this place is, but I know it's worth this entire trip."

Jade ducked around the corner just before he reached the top. He hurried after him, stepping through a doorway. Once he did, he was stunned by what Jade was so eager to show him. He recovered quickly, then hurried over to Jade, wanting a better look at the center of the chamber.

The room itself was huge. Easily twice the size of any of the buildings they had explored so far. The center of the room was filled with some strange crystalline sculpture. He assumed it was a sculpture. He couldn't be sure what any of these Atlantian artifacts were, not really.

He turned to Jade. Feeling a smile as big as his spread across his face.

"Jade, you just hit the jackpot. Once we get to the mainland, all the beer you can hold, on me."

Jade smirked, knowing that Darien knew his ability to hold his alcohol.

"Add a steak dinner once we get back home."

"Done. Now, go find Staziak or Mr. Mallone, and let them know about this. Don't tell anyone else."

"Got it. I think Staziak went back to the mainland yesterday, but I can always find Amara, and get her to pass along the message."

"Stay away from her Jade. Or haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"She's female, right?"

Darien rolled his eyes, as Jade laughed, and left the room, presumably to do what he'd asked.

For now, he had to figure out a way to keep the students occupied, and away from the site until Mr. Mallone could arrive.

* * *

Across the island, Nathan was overseeing one of the Grads, and several of the first years as they carefully dug out rubble.

They had found a building built into one of the islands many rock formations. The entrance had collapsed, and they were working on clearing the debris away, so they could get inside. The general multi-tiered look of the building led him to suspect it was a temple of some sort. He couldn't be sure what it was for, until they got inside.

"Easy with that beam Michael. We don't want to make it collapse again, and make us do this all over."

"Easy for you to say Nate. You've got the easy job."

Nathan glared at the Grad as Michael laughed. Easy, right.

He was geared up to crawl through the small opening they had made, and brace up the entrance from the inside. If the load shifted while he was still crawling through the hole, he could easily be crushed. If Michael thought this was the easy job, he didn't want to know what he considered to be a hard job.

"OK kids. Once I'm inside, I'll look around, and make sure it's safe to brace. Michael, you're in charge of telling Chiba what happened if this goes wrong."

"Gee, thanks Nathan."

"You're welcome."

Nathan smirked at Michael as he carefully walked up the debris, and eased himself into the opening. Once he was inside, he pulled out his flashlight, and turned it on. He spotted their problem almost immediately. He eased himself down the sharper slope of rubble, and gave it a better look.

A large piece of the entranceway had collapsed, breaking into two large pieces. The rest of the rubble had settled on top of them, forcing them to press against the sides of the passageway. The pressure had forced the two pieces into the wall, now acting as support. Removing them would cause more of the tunnel to collapse. It would take a bit of work to make it safe enough to clear out more of the rubble. He eased back up to the hole.

"This is going to be pure trouble, but we have a lot of bracing to do in here. I'm going to look and see if there's another passage we could use to get in and out from. Meanwhile, go get equipment to use to brace this up. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"You should have someone with you. Take Julia at least. She's small enough not to get in your way."

"Hey! Stuff it Michael. Or do you need a repeat of what I did to you in Reno?"

"Depends. Was that before, or after you woke up in bed with me?"

"PIG!"

He heard Michael cry out in pain, then felt the rubble shift. He jumped back just as the opening caved in with fresh rubble.

He sighed, as he looked up at the rubble with his flashlight. Looked like he was going to be in here longer than he wanted. Good thing he wasn't claustrophobic.

He wished Michael and Julia could make up their minds. Either get married, or finally kill each other. They'd been like this for little over six months now. He and Darien were getting a little tired of this behavior. At comforted himself with the fact that at least Jade hadn't been there this time, to egg them on. It seemed to be a hobby of his.

With a shake of his head, he turned around and decided to go exploring. Maybe he could find something interesting inside to keep himself busy.

He followed the main hallway for a while, until he finally stepped into a large room. There were doorways in each of the walls, but nothing else, the room itself was bare. Not even glyphs on the walls like most of the other structures.

Following his basic strategy, he took the doorway on his right. After several more minutes of walking, the corridor began to curve to his left and descent slightly. He was fairly sure now, that he was somewhere inside the rock. He wasn't really sure where he was going, but something in his gut told him to keep going, that there was something just ahead.

He finally emerged into another small room. This one looked even emptier than the first. There didn't even appear to be any other passages. Still, his gut was telling him that something was in this room. He just couldn't see it. Yet. His gut had never lied to him yet. He doubted it would start now. Frowning, he began to search the room.

He with the walls, taking his time searching for any hidden switches or panels. After that, he began checking the floor. He was almost ready to give up, when he finally found it. Set in the very center of the room was a very small hole. It wasn't until he knelt down to examine it, that he noticed there was a very thin layer of dust covering the floor there. He pulled out a brush, and began to carefully sweep it away.

Five minutes later, he had uncovered glyphs arranged in a circle, with the hole at the center. The hole itself has part of a glyph, set in the very center of the others. Several of the glyphs had faint lines around them, and he suspected they might be switches, but he had no idea how to use them. A mistake, and he might even get himself killed by setting off some sort of trap. Some Archaeologist he would be then.

He stared at the glyphs for several minutes, before a sudden spike of pain pierced his brain, He grabbed his head as he was suddenly overcome by vertigo. He collapsed on the ground, still clutching his head in pain. It only lasted a few seconds, before settling into a dull throb at his temples.

He carefully sat up, letting out a sigh of relief as the vertigo seemed to have passed. He wasn't sure what had happened. Maybe there was a gas leak in here somewhere, and it was starting to get to him?

He slowly stood up, ready to go back and see if the rubble had been cleared away again, when he glanced down at the glyphs. He stared in shock, as his mind slowly translated them for him. It wasn't perfect, and he couldn't tell what they were saying, just that the glyphs represented certain elements.

His gut prompted him again, and his feet tapped down on three of the glyphs out of impulse. He wasn't sure why he had done it, only that his body seemed to have a mind of it's own. A moment later, the walls began to shine with an eerie bluish light, before a section of the back wall just dissapeared. It was there one second, then simply vanished in the next.

On shaky feet, he approached the new opening, and walked into the brightly lit room beyond it.

Sitting on an intricately carved pedestal sat one of the Orbs, gleaming in the bright illumination. It appeared very similar to the ones he and Jade had been given earlier in the week. He hurried over to examine it more closely.

It was cut exactly like the others, though this one was made of a crystal that looked like citrine. Looking closely, he could make out what appeared to be bits of sand blowing around in a circle, like a perpetual wind was blowing inside.

Against his better judgment, he reached out and picked it up. It was as weightless as the other two Orbs. As soon as he picked it up, the lights went out in both rooms. His only illumination, was from the flashlight he had left in the previous room.

Suddenly eager to get out of the temple, he slipped the Orb inside his clothes, before going back for his flashlight. As soon as he stepped out of the room, the wall re-appeared. He quickly grabbed his light, and raced back toward the entrance. Fearful of being sealed inside this room as well.

He made his way back much faster than it had taken him to get to the Orb room. He sighed in relief as he spotted sunlight filtering through the new opening, and Julia just emerging on his side.

"Nathan! Are you OK? We tried calling you once we cleared the rubble again, then we got worried when you didn't respond. We though you might have been caught in the collapse."

Nate shook his head, as he gestured for her to go back out.

"No, no. I'm fine. Just decided to explore a bit while I waited for the entrance to be cleared again."

"Anything good?"

"Just some dust and a few glyphs. Nothing important."

He remembered his conversation with Mr. Mallone earlier in the week, and decided to show him the Orb personally. After a nice hot shower to clear both the grime, and his thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4: Crusades and Disasters

Ruins of Atlantis

By: Ginsan

Chapter 4

Crusades and Disasters

_He didn't think he'd ever understand these surface dwellers. Almost a hundred years now, and he could barely remember when he wasn't forced to fight for his life. The time spent in the sea caves seemed so long ago now, barely remembered with current circumstances._

_He was currently crouched around a primitive campfire, while some obnoxious smelling stew slowly boiled over it. He knew better than to eat any of it. He was still ill from the last time the local commander had forced his to eat. He'd sneak off once they all fell asleep, and find something that was actually edible. So far, he'd yet to find anyone that could match his survival skills, rusty as they were. Which brought him back to his current situation._

_Once the authorities had learned of his success in hunting and tracking from the locals, he'd been forced to join yet another of the wars they referred to as 'Crusades'. He was to work as an advance scout for this particular army. He was too look out for enemy armies, and warn them of possible traps. The only reason he hadn't run off, was that they were holding hostages. They had told him, that if he ran off, they would send men back, and slaughter the village that had taken him in. He had no doubt they meant it. But, he had plans of his own._

_He'd simply do as they say for the next several months. Once they believed he was acting as they wanted, he'd simply sneak off, making it look like he'd been captured. With how many scouts they had lost in this war already, they wouldn't be surprised. Even then, he wouldn't be able to go back. He'd have to find another village, and take on another role. Perhaps he'd find someplace that was more isolated than the last few. He couldn't stand war back during the Rebellion, and he certainly wasn't about to start liking it now. No, he'd simply have to find alternative methods to being forced into this senseless carnage._

_Perhaps he would even try to find one of these 'Universities' he had heard some of the soldiers discussing. They sounded much like the Academy back in the Capitol. Based on the education level of the majority of surface dwellers he'd met, he doubted it would be the same. But it wouldn't hurt try, and these people did seem to revere scholars. Maybe it would be a way to keep himself out of more of these bloody conflicts._

* * *

Jordan sat at his desk, stunned for the first time in several years. Darien had rushed into the office several minutes ago, telling him of a strange, crystalline sculpture that they had found in a large room set within a cliff. He wasn't even sure what it might have been, until Darien had hesitantly remarked on it looking like a machine. Barely a week, and the boy had already found the Gate. And if that hadn't been enough, his assistant, Nathan, had just rushed into the room, and set down the third Orb. He was quite seriously considering, raising how much money he was paying them.

He reached out, and picked up the Orb, finally shaking off the shock. With the sand swirling around inside it, it was definitely the Wind Orb. He carefully set it back down, suddenly fearful of breaking it. To have come so close, and suddenly be denied. He didn't think he'd be able to recover from such a disappointment. He quickly buzzed Amara to return to Headquarters. Plans had to be put in motion. Now, before things began to unravel.

He had to make a personal inspection of the Gate, to make sure that it was in working order. If not, he'd have a lot of work ahead to repair the device. He knew it would need at least basic maintenance, but that would take less than a week. The hardest part, would be calibrating it, to make it align with the current location of the Capitol.

He was interrupted by a knock at the door, before Amara stepped inside.

"You called for me sir?"

"Amara, have a look at what Nathan found this afternoon."

He gestured for her to look at his desk, where she instantly noticed the Orb. She rushed over, and picked it. Jordan smiled, as he noticed it flare slightly with yellow light, before quickly fading.

"This is the Wind Orb, isn't it?"

"It is indeed. And would you care to guess what Mr. Chiba discovered a few hours ago on the Eastern side of the island?"

"Already?"

"Yes. I want you to put a Team together. I need to go out and inspect it."

She quickly set the Orb down, and hurried from the room, leaving Darien and Nathan to stare after her in confusion. Darien turned back to Jordan first, giving voice to his jumbled thoughts.

"Sir, just what is going on?"

Jordan grinned, the look seemingly taking years off his age.

"My boy, what you and Jadrian found, is the Gate Chamber. With the Wind Orb, it will allow us to reach Atlantis. Providing the Gate works. If not, I do know where one more Gate is located, but it was damaged several years ago by a sea quake. I, myself, have been unable to access it, and see how badly it was damaged."

Darien and Nathan really were confused now. It was one thing to look for artifacts. But to find that they were part of some fantastic machine. Just how did he have all this knowledge, much less his boast of being able to fix these things. Nathan spoke up this time, finally finding his voice again.

"Sir, just how do you know all this? How can you claim to be able to fix this Gate, if it's broken?"

Jordan merely smiled, a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal all the secrets just yet, but do know that my family has been looking for a path back to Atlantis for a very long time."

They were interrupted from asking any more questions, by Amara's return.

"We're all set, and waiting outside sir. We can get there, and back before dark if we leave now."

"Good, good. Let's go see what condition our treasure is in, shall we?"

* * *

"I didn't touch anything, I swear! It started glowing all on it's own about ten minutes ago."

A frantic Jadrian was pacing back and forth in front of the Gate, which was now emitting a soft, greenish glow. Jordan quickly turned to Amara, and had her open the box she had brought along.

Inside, were all three Orbs, the gems, and the large. Circular tablet. The tablet was glowing a similar color as the gate, and the rings were slowly turning.

"Something is wrong. Someone else is trying to use the Gate."

"How can you tell sir?"

"Because the Orbs aren't glowing. That means that someone else has a set of Orbs, and another one of the Command Tablets."

He was silent a moment, before gesturing for Amara to come closer, before whispering quickly into her ear. "Call Headquarters, now. Code red. I have a feeling that Black Flame is about to make their move."

Amara nodded, before setting the box down, and rushing outside. Jordan turned to Jadrian and Nathan.

"You two. Get all the members of the dig teams. Get them to your temple Nathan. Get them all inside, then close it. Make sure they have supplies to last several days. Then I want you both back here, as quickly as you can."

"What the Hell is going on? What Temple?"

"Talk on the way. Your team will be safe inside the Temple. The Orb was the only important thing there. They won't even give it a second glance."

"Who won't?"

"Black Flame."

The name was enough to make all three turn pale. Nathan and Jade quickly exited the room, leaving Darien alone with Jordan.

"I can understand why Black Flame would want this site, but how would they even know what was here?"

Jordan was silent for several minutes, before he moved himself over to the Gate, and carefully examined it.

"I'm afraid, you can consider the leaders of Black Flame to be Black Sheep from my family. I can't be positive of who they are, but with the Gate being active like this, it's the only option I can consider likely."

"Your family? I wasn't aware you had any family sir. All records say you were an only child, and you never married."

"That's right. But, they come from much further back in the family I'm afraid. There are no official records of their birth."

"Then how do you know about them?"

"I said there were no official records. I didn't say there were no records. It's very complicated though."

"JORDAN!"

Jordan turned as Amara rushed back into the room, a riot of emotions playing across her face. The fear in her voice, however, was enough to let him know something was wrong.

"They just attacked Headquarters. My call was cut off mid signal. I need to get back. I got through to Zack, but he can't get through to HQ either. He's on his way back now."

Jordan thought quickly. It was doubtful that they knew the exact location of the Gate, simply that it had activated.

"Go, but make sure you take a full team with you. No heroics. I want to know how many, and how bad the situation is. I already have Nathan and Jadrian dealing with the Dig Team. Darien and I will find someplace to hide until you can find us. Go."

Amara didn't even wait, she bolted from the room. Her Jeep's engine revved a moment later, before they herd her speed off into the jungle.

"I'll do what I can to deactivate the Gate, but we don't have much time. Keep a look out at the door. After I finish, we'll go hide in one of those underground passages you found two days ago."

Darien nodded uneasily, but complied. He still didn't know what was going on, but at least Mr. Mallone seemed to have some sort of plan in place.

* * *

Jordan had worked on the portal for an hour, before Jadrian and Nathan had returned. There wasn't anything more he could do with the Gate, except hope that Black Flame didn't have anyone who could undo his sabotage.

Grateful for the Jeep that Nathan and Jadrian had brought back, Jordan quickly changed his plan, and instead had them move to a series of caves on the southern end of the island. The initial survey of the island had guessed at them being a set of warehouses of some sort, and Jordan was hoping that Black Flame would ignore them in favor or trying to fix the Gate.

"So what's the plan?"

A nervous Jade asked, as he drove as quickly as possible through the dense jungle foliage of the island. He wasn't sure how Jordan knew the jungle well enough to tell him how to drive the Jeep through it, but at this point he didn't care. He'd heard enough rumors about Black Flame, to never want to meet them face to face if he could avoid it.

"We'll hide out in the warehouses, until Amara or a Security Team can find us. Zackary was supposed to be back tonight, and he will most likely be the first to find us."

"How's he going to find us?"

"Zack is very resourceful. I'd worry more about any Black Flame who try and get in his way. Or Amara's for that matter."

The three friends remained silent, hoping that Jordan was right. They all may have picked careers that placed them in dangerous spots, but none of them liked to fight. Correction, Jadrian liked to fight, but Darien and Nathan preferred to avoid fights.

"Just have faith, that friends will find us before enemies."

* * *

"Ma'am. I have a positive I.D. It's Michelle in there, along with most of the technicians. They appear to be OK. I spot ten guards, all heavily armed. Could be more out of sight."

Amara ground her teeth in frustration. Damn Black Flame. Damn them straight to Hell. If anything happened to Michelle, she'd personally see to it that each and every one of them paid for it.

"Looks like they're initiated a lock down on the dorms too. I count twenty guard around the perimeter, with an unknown number patrolling inside. They have the Airstrip covered as well. I don't know how they got it on the island, much less where they found them, but they have three MAZ 543's with Grad Missiles covering it. No one's getting on or off this island through the air unless they let them."

Amara took the information, as she thought over various rescue plans in her head. She didn't care right now, what Jordan had told her. They had Michelle, and she'd be damned is she left her with Black Flame.

"Ma'am, I don't see anyone else. All we have are the Guards, and the crews with the Missile Carriers. I don't see any other Black Flame troops."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

She was silent a moment, as she narrowed down her plans. If there really were only a few guards, maybe they could get Headquarters back.

"OK. Send two teams on recon. Make sure these are the only ones we have to deal with."

"Yes Ma'am."

The Security member, saluted her, before gesturing for three others to join him, before pairing off to go separate directions around the compound.

* * *

"How much longer are we going to have to wait here? No offense, but if I go any longer without eating, my stomach is going to give us away."

Nathan and Darien rolled their eyes at Jadrian, but they had to admit he had a point, when his stomach started growling again. Jordan was at a small window, cautiously watching for anyone approaching them.

"I honestly don't know. Something is jamming the radio from the Jeep. I can't get in contact with anyone." He was silent a moment, before gesturing for Jadrian to join him at the window. "See that clump of trees over there? One of them is a wild passion fruit tree. Should still be some fruit on it. A little more to the right is a sea grape. Not much for food, but it's the best we can do at the moment. This island doesn't have very much of a selection."

"I'll take it. I'll bring back a few for everybody."

"Just don't get yourself caught."

Jadrian waved Nathan off, as he cautiously made his way out of the building. He went the long way to the trees, just in case he did get spotted by someone. It didn't take long to find the passion fruit tree. The bright golden fruit was still visible, even in the darkness. He picked the ones that looked the ripest, shoving them into the many pockets decorating his cargo pants. He knew there was a reason he'd put these on today.

Satisfied that he had enough for everyone, he cautiously made his way back, taking a different path than before. No sense taking chances. He was half way back, when it happened.

He was suddenly surrounded by people in strange armor. All he had was a brief glimpse of green crystal, before he felt a sudden jolt, and went unconscious.


End file.
